Top 10 Items for Get Home Bag

Everyone loves to talk about a BOB, but what about the get home bag? Many of us won’t carry our bug out bags around with us in the car, though some of us do.

For those of us who don’t desire to carry our bug out bags in our everyday vehicles, you should consider carrying a get home bag. This bag will help you get home in case you’ve been held up because of snow, flooding, construction, stranded, etc. There are many emergency scenarios that we might need a get home bag to not only get us home, but to maybe sustain us in case we get stranded and don’t/can’t leave the vehicle.

Here’s my top ten list of items that should be in your get home bag. Remember, we want to put items in there that will help us get from point A to point B. In the scenario in which you must grab your GHB (Get Home Bag) and walk home, you’ll be making a B-line home, there’s no setting up camp anywhere (or at least there shouldn’t be, only an extreme situation would call for stopping. If you can make it home, get home).

1. Ready to eat foods – Any type of power bars or nuts or ration bars or whatever. Foods that you do not have to cook. You don’t want to be stopping to boil water for some ramen. It’s not safe and it wastes time.

2. A couple water bottles and a water purification straw – Keep a couple bottles of water in your bag. I also suggest getting a purification straw like the Survivor Filter so you can drink directly from bodies of water on the go.

3. Sillcock key – This is one of my most prized possessions. You can use the sillcock key to open water valves on the sides of buildings. As long as water is flowing, you can get water from those valves, as long as you have this key.

4. Compass – I don’t know about you, but I’m directionally challenged. I know the general direction in which my home is located and I’d recognize the area enough once I got to it, but my city is so big that I might get turned around at some point. A compass will be helpful.

5. Cell phone charger/cable – Keep in touch with loved ones, check maps, etc. Keeping your cell phone charged is valuable. Your cell phone may or may not work for some time depending on the emergency, but it’s always good to have the option.

6. Personal protection – This can be anything from mace, a baton, stun gun or even a real gun. Carry something to protect yourself and make sure that you follow all of your local laws. And make sure that you know how to use that protection item.

7. Lighter – Never know when a lighter might come in handy!

8. Shemagh – Doesn’t every kit have to have a shemagh? :)

9. Knife – Great for a multitude of reasons.

10. Flashlight – So you can, you know, see in the dark.

You could also include an emergency blanket, paracord, maybe a small first aid kit and maybe some toilet paper. But other than that, these items will be the most useful to get you from point A to point B.

If you are normally with a baby, child or pet, you’ll need to add the additional items for their needs to your GHB.

There are many other items you could include, especially depending on personal preference, but these are just some top ten items to consider.

Check out my video below where I walked half way home from work with my GHB.